Friday Reflections

Welcome back, sorry for the long delay! Here is a selfie of my class on Tourist Day of Spirit week. 

As I sit in my classroom after a long Friday...or just a long week of school and Spirit Week...looking at papers everywhere, mud on the floor, and desks not where they are supposed to be, it looks like a tornado went through my room! I just want to leave this place for a really long time and ignore everything for a while, or at least for the weekend. I feel like I have no energy left to grade papers, straighten up my room, and make it presentable for parent teacher conference on Monday! How in the world will I get everything done, and get the sleep and rest I need over the weekend! But as I sit here thinking about the stress and craziness of my job, I am reminded of how blessed I am to have opportunity to teach and impact 24 little lives and their families. My job is a privilege, and many times I don't think of it as having to go to work every day. We all have our daily struggles with situations at work and/or at home, and I could sit here and complain about all my "problems" or frustrations, but I don't want to do that. Instead I want to encourage you when you feel the same way, as I have to daily remind myself, to turn your eyes upward, to the One Who provided this job for you, for me, and the One Who will provide grace and strength to accomplish what I need to get done in order to do the job well. I am reminded of how God said in James 4:6 that He gives more grace to the humble. And 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 where God said His grace is sufficient for me, and His power is made perfect in my weakness. So in this moment of feeling weak, overwhelmed, and like I can't keep trudging on I am reminded that God is there for me and will give me strength. I am right where He called me to be to do the job He has called me to do, and He will help me even when it may seem impossible. 

At first the sounds of children playing on the playground while waiting for their parents to come pick them up was somewhat annoying, I just want peace and quiet. Now it is more of a happy sound as I think of all the cute little children that belong to those voices, the families they belong to, and thank God for the opportunity to teach them. 

So, have a wonderful weekend resting in God's strength to do whatever it is that needs to be done with a joyful attitude!

Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Update

Wow, it has been a long time since, I've posted and I'm sorry about that!

A lot has happened since March. I finished the school year, went home for the summer to watch my brother get married and spend time with my family. I took another online master's class, and started a new school year, which is where I'll begin. 

It has been a rocky start to the year to say the least. I really believe God is trying to get my attention right off the bat this year and show me how much I need Him. I came back from the summer about a week early, and enjoyed some time back on the island without any real responsibilities, which was nice. However, once in-service started I got really sick, and it has been a slow road to recovery. About a month later, I found out that one of my close friends from college was killed in a car accident. That just threw me for a whole other loop and caused me to think about many things. Through it all God has been faithful by reminding me Who He is, and that I can only make it through with His strength alone, not my own. I have been forced to just give EVERYTHING over to the Lord

Despite the craziness of my life outside of school, things at school have been going very well. I have a class of 24 students, 12 boys and 12 girls. So far they have turned out to be a good class that listens well and follows directions. We also have a new teacher on our first grade team, which has turned out to be a really good thing, and I am excited to see how we can make this a great year for first grade together. 

Through all of this, though, and with the Harvest theme of the year being Faith Alone and going through the book of Galatians, God is teaching me not to fear man, or compare myself to others, but to live my life completely for an audience of One, and not worry about what others may think of me. This has been a humbling lesson to learn to say the least, and I feel like I still have a long ways to go before I actually learn it. 

Galatians 1:10 "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Wow! What a rebuke! If I am only trying to please my bosses, parents, other teachers, and everyone else around me, then I am not His servant and am failing to do the job that He has called me to do! I need to be focused on Christ and Christ alone, and seek only His approval. 

Here are a few pictures of my classroom and my life so far this year. 

All ready for parent orientation.

Getting acquainted with where things are in the classroom.

On our way to lunch.

Visit from Johnny Appleseed on Apple Day!!

One of my students made Johnny Appleseed using graham crackers, apples, marshmallows, and raisins. Pretty creative!

Enjoying the new playground! 

Showing off their artwork of an activity we did on learning how to write sentences.

 Working hard to count and make combinations for 4, 5, and 6.

Buddy reading

Just one of my many wonderful gifts for my birthday. 

And of course, I have to end with a beautiful sunset picture! This was from our view from the pool on Labor Day. A great way to end a relaxing day!

Isaiah 40:29-31 

"He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Patience

Have you ever thought, "I am being patient" but inside really you wanted to just explode? Outside you were calm, you thought you were using a quiet, gentle voice, but at any second if you weren't careful everything boiling up inside would just come out. Well today was one of those days. It seemed like no matter how calm I was or what I tried to do the kids just would not listen, and as the day went on it got more and more frustrating. 

Then I began to wonder, what really is patience? Was I being patient? Or is patience having a calm and quiet spirit, and not letting things phase you? If that is the case, wow! Patience is much harder than I ever thought it was!

So I began to search the Scriptures for verses about patience. Here are some that I found.
(I found it interesting that the NIV used the word patient and the ESV used slow to anger so I wrote both of them out.) 

Proverbs 14:29
"Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly." (NIV)

"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." (ESV)

Am I quick or hasty tempered with my kids? If I'm honest, I have to say, yes, sometimes I am unfortunately.


Proverbs 16:32
"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city." (NIV)

"Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." (ESV)

Am I being slow to anger and exercising self-control when my students disobey for the 3rd time in the last 5 minutes? Or do I all of a sudden lash out and react harshly out of anger?


Psalm 37:7
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." (NIV)

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!" (ESV)

It may seem like the students are succeeding in their ways sometimes. However, I need to remember that yes, I am the teacher, and yes they should obey me, but my main concern should be that they obey God. If I am displaying Christlikeness in my attitude and the way I handle each situation that may arise in the day, and I am doing the task He has called me to the best of my ability to His glory, then I can leave the rest up to God and not worry or fret about it.  


When my students aren't listening and obeying, and everything they do seems to "rub me the wrong way" and get on my nerves, not only am I reminded that that is the way I treat God so many times. I also need to remember that if I am patient I am displaying to my kids part of who God is. God is loving. God is patient. God is forgiving. He wants to see us succeed, so no matter how many times we fail Him, He is always there ready to pick me up and help me try again. I need to show this kind of patience to my kids. If my focus truly is on God, and Who He is, I don't think I will feel frustrated...but then, is God frustrated with me, or just sad and disappointed?

Sadly, I think as teachers, it is easy to have selfish motives when correcting students, instead of truly desiring to help them focus on God and Who He is.

These are just some of the thoughts that have been rolling around in my head this evening. I don't feel like I have learned this lesson or even really figured it out. But God is patient and loving and wants me to be patient too.

Here is a view (and maybe a video clip) of the calm, still, quiet ocean, and the sunset, God allowed me to enjoy after a rough day and a good run (2 different days, same place).

Update

Wow, I am really failing at this monthly blog post update! :( So sorry!

Since October I started and finished my first masters class, went home for Christmas break, and jumped full swing into second semester. 

My masters class was called Perspectives on Character Education. It was really good, but there was sooo much reading, and a very time consuming class!

Two days after the class finished I went home for Christmas. It was great to be home and to see my immediate family, grandparents, and some extended family! God even blessed me with a dusting of snow!!!!

Christmas Day Dinner

Decorating Gingerbread Houses with my siblings - minus Stefan :( 

Warming up by the fire! 

 SNOW!!! 

Before I went home my kids had their annual Christmas play. I was very proud of how well they did! Always one of my favorite times of the year!

So, there is a quick update. Since I am not taking a class this semester I don't have an excuse, and will try to update more often. 

Today at school we celebrated Valentine's Day, and next Friday is President's Day where students dress up like a president. I will try to take pictures of some of the things we did then and post again soon.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner I have been reflecting on God's love for me, and how I ought to love those around me. As a first grade teacher I admit there are many days where that is really hard, especially towards particular students. But then I am reminded that God does not love us based off of how much we love Him back, how much we obey or are easy to get along with. Nor does He love us based on how much time we spend with Him. His love is unconditional! I am so thankful for this truth!

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ... We love because he first loved us. ... And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." 

1 John 4:7, 19, 21

The Month of September

Well the school year is off to a running start. We are half way through the month of October, wow that flew by! I now have 23 students - 10 girls and 13 boys. We are still working on our listening skills in the classroom among many other things.

But since it's been way too long since I've blogged I'll start by giving some of the highlights of things that have been happening on this side of the world. 

First, at the very beginning of the year in our teacher in-service, one of the local car dealerships came and gave a very convincing preview of their cars and introduced their special deal that they were offering for Harvest teachers. In addition, they left two brand new vehicles with us that would be rotated among the staff. One was a 2015 Hyundai Tucson, and the other was a 2015 convertible Fiat 200. All the staff entered their names into a drawing and every two days (or 3 if it was a weekend) a new person would be the lucky winner and get to drive one of the two cars for the day. Well, it just so happened that the second to last weekend in August, my wonderful roommate's name was drawn for the Fiat. So we had the car for 3 days and we took advantage of it and drove it around the island and well everywhere. It was a lot of fun!

Moving on to the month of September, it was also full of lots of adventures. To start out with, it was my birthday month! God has blessed me with wonderful friends and a great roommate (also a wonderful friend) who made my day extra special. I woke up to this sign in our living room. 

Then came into the classroom and found these notes on my desk. 

Later that day after school, we went to watch the sunset and get some coffee. The sunset was gorgeous that day too, which made it even better!

Here is a gift that my "baby" brother - David carefully and thoughtfully made for me. 

The last Friday of September was our International Day at school where all the kids (and teachers) dressed up from different countries around the world. We had a fun day. 
Here are some pictures of my kids on their way to chapel. 

We had a special chapel that included all of elementary instead of just lower, and the upper elementary honors choir had some fun songs that they shared with us.

It was a half day of school and we had lunch served in our classrooms, AND, of all days, I had a birthday party. Needless to say I was glad the day was over at 12:30. It was a good day, though, and fun for the kids. 

Here is a picture of the lunch that was served, and...

...the birthday party.

This was just some fun recess entertainment that I had to take a picture of. :)

God has been so good to me this year. Now that's not to say it's been a perfect year. I've had my share of struggles, but once again He has shown Himself faithful and loving. I have nothing to complain about, but many things to praise Him for. 

Here is a picture of me on my birthday and the gorgeous sunset. 

"...My heart exults in the Lord; ...There is none holy like the LORD; for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge..."

1 Samuel 2:1-3 

Beginning of School Year

As I am sitting here writing the weather outside is very wet and rainy! It started raining last night and hasn't stopped! My roommate and I went grocery shopping today and boy was it wet! There were lots of deep puddles in the road, but praise the Lord we made it and enjoyed our little adventure! There are two tropical storms out there and so we are getting lots of rain from them. As of right now it doesn't look like we will get hit bad, just rain and flooding which we already have, but that could easily change, as it's hard to accurately predict exactly what the weather will do. I think the worst is supposed to hit us tomorrow sometime, but so far we still have school on Monday, although the Sunday morning service has been canceled due to severe flooding. Also, both my classroom and apartment has already gotten water inside. Thankfully there was no damage and the apartment was an easy fix. 

As the new school year has begun, I have already seen God start working and teaching me how much I need to depend on him. The day of parent orientation I was sick and unable to go to the inservice meetings which also caused me to not have much of any time to get my classroom presentable for orientation. God was good, though, and many of my coworkers pitched in here and there as they had a couple minutes, so when I was feeling well enough to go in and get a few things done, my classroom was presentable and so much more had been done that I could have done on my own! He also gave me just enough strength to get through parent orientation, because as soon as that was over I was not feeling well again. I was reminded that although it seemed like the worst timing for me, God's timing is perfect and I just need to trust Him because, praise the Lord, it will all work out! I am so thankful for my God and the Harvest family He has given me!

The first two days of school also went well. I have a class of 23 first graders right now (the number may change depending on if I get more or some never show up). They are a lively bunch, but I love them and am looking forward to a good year! 

As a church body this year we will be focusing on Victorious Living and studying through the book of Romans. I am excited for this year and looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me. 

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

Field Day

Wow, it has been a while again since I've posted. Sorry about that. I think with it nearing the end of the year things have been pretty crazy and my schedule has picked up. Since the last post was also a catch up post, and I don't remember really what's happened between now and then, I will just tell you about the most recent - today, Field Day. 

Field Day is an all day (well actually all morning - we were done by 1:00) event where 1st-6th graders participate in different class competitions. There are team relay races, tug of war, handball, and individual hurdles and sprints along with fun carnival games. It is a fun day for all of the kids and a nice change of pace from being in the classroom all the time. Since this was my first year and my kids first year participating, we really had no idea what to expect coming in to this day. I had heard different things about it, but I felt like I was the blind leading the blind. Praise the Lord it was a great day and everything went really smoothly. 

The day began with the 1st-5th graders parading onto the soccer field through a human tunnel made by the 6th graders. Each class was color coded, first grade was blue.

After a brief "welcome" and fun "reenactment" of a battle from the 6th graders the activities began. We started with the individual competitions of hurdling and dash. I had one student in each event place, which was very exciting for them. The kids got medallions for placing. 

Next, the relay race...

...then Tug of War. Although, we did not do very well in this event, it was a lot of fun watching the parents get into it and trying to strategically place the kids. :) 

Last event....handball. 

Finally, the time that all the kids were waiting for....the carnival! This was kind of crazy with kids and parents running everywhere, but I know they had fun, so it made it all worth it, and I didn't have much to worry about when they were in the gym, which made my job easy. 

The day was a success overall, we had beautiful weather, and although it was a little hot, there was nice cool air to come inside to and cool off. 

We have less than a month left of school before I've made it through my first year of teaching. It's hard to believe, but I am so thankful for the experience and many many things God has taught throughout the year. It will be a crazy next couple weeks and I probably won't get another post done before the school year is over, but thank you to each one of you for your prayers and support. They have been so encouraging and I believe what got me through the year, aside from God's grace and love towards me. I am looking forward to the summer and to see what God has in store for next year. But first, we have awards ceremony and the end of the year activities to get through before I can be thinking too much about next year. :)

Psalm 113:3 "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!"